Although I do not have a formal degree in Social Media Marketing (I have a BS in Information Systems Management), I believe the term “Social Media Marketer” is merely a new and trendy title that describes EXACTLY what I do.
I successfully market items on-line (and off-line) using well written content, excellent display merchandising techniques (either through photos or physical displays), custom graphics and other types of media as needed to finalize the item’s sale at a premium purchase price to happy and satisfied customers. I research and use the best possible sales venues to sell my items at the highest possible prices. AND I teach other people how to emulate my techniques.
In my opinion, what EVERY business needs are customers… and a customer is someone who actually forks over cash to the business. It is wonderful to have tons of traffic or as I put it, “window shoppers”, however unless they actually COME IN, put items in the shopping bag and complete a purchase, you have nothing more than traffic. While a full (& busy) brick and mortar store will attract more customers, a high traffic site, is well, just a high traffic site. Yes, the more eyeballs you have WILL DEFINITELY convert to a higher sales volume, but it does nothing to entice other people to buy through the idle curiosity that a busy “REAL” store promotes.
So, what I believe you are looking for is NOT someone who has a whole bunch of experience Tweeting and posting Facebook Status Updates, what you are looking for is someone who knows HOW to market a product in the best way possible to YOUR customer demographics, understands how to speak in your customers’ voice and knows where your customers hang out. You are looking for someone who has experience and know-how in making a virtual on-line sale while maintaining EXCELLENT customer service AND customer satisfaction. You are looking for a person who can be your cheerleader and event planner (kinda like Julie on The Love Boat) without being too uptight, aggressive, impersonal or pushy; a person who has a tone to their writing that “sounds” like they are happy, fun and friendly; someone who people would WANT to follow and would like. You want a buddy/girlfriend that is the face of your social interactions… a best friend of sorts that gives out friendly advice and tips without sounding like a commercial.
Anyone can post canned content on various social networks, can research JVs (joint ventures) or Strategist Partnerships and can follow a set schedule. I LOVE creating content, I spend WAY too much time creating my eBay auctions, but they very rarely go unsold. I LOVE teaching my Basics of Selling on eBay class. I focus WAY more on the ART and SCIENCE of SUCCEEDING on eBay rather than how to fill out the SYI (Sell Your Item) forms. And I LOVE to post in my newly created blog. I love to teach, share and communicate… it’s in my blood and in my genetics.
I firmly believe that anyone can teach or be taught how to go about the “technical” aspects of just about anything, but it is the inherent TALENT that cannot be taught. I once said in my interview to the very first company that hired me as a “Computer Programmer” — “Give me a book and a goal and I can accomplish anything”. Although I did NOT know the programming languages that they were using, I am a very talented programmer. My hiring manager brought me on board even though I did not have the required “experience”. I quickly became the top programmer on our team.
I personally have 8 YEARS of on-line marketing and sales experience. I understand how to write compelling descriptions that SELL. I understand the importance of multimedia and enjoy creating graphics with my somewhat limited ability. I have a very good EYE for design, quality, fine craftsmanship and saleability of any given item.
I also have 5 years of selling experience OFFLINE. I have space in a local Antique store where I merchandise and sell a lot of the treasures I buy, which compliments my eBay and Replacements, Ltd. businesses. We also ran large scale book fairs for Books Are Fun. We had about 15 large Corporate Clients including FBI HQ, NASA HQ, Children’s Hospital and Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital in Washington DC.
We carried over 1200 SKUs and set up 6 tables of displays and had 12 rolling racks CRAMMED with books. We not only sold books, but we also sold various gift items, children’s educational items, bath and beauty items, music, videos and framed artwork. We had a TREMENDOUS turnover of product. I personally was in charge of ordering ALL our product and titles. I worked with my husband to merchandise each and every product in a professional and aesthetically pleasing manner. I created custom signage and ran “specials”. We had a LOT of fun, but it was VERY labor and time intensive.
We gave up the business about 2 years ago, and I am now focusing my attention on working online with companies and individuals as a “Social Media Marketer”, teaching people how to sell on eBay and creating websites, blogs and setting up PPC/affiliate marketing strategies. Although I am STILL selling on eBay occasionally and reselling to Replacements, Ltd.; I am trying to remove myself from working with stuff, and concentrating more on working with PEOPLE. Stuff just isn’t as much fun 
